Means to support portable loud-speakers



Dec. 5, 1950 w. BORBERG MEANS TQ SUPPORT PORTABLE LOUD SPEAKERS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 12, 1949 mwm lfl mmwwmmwmmmmmwmwmmm w w wumwmm wm mmwmw nunnunu- INVENTOR 'W/LLY [5023520 2 BY ATTORNEY Dec. 5,1950 w. BORBERG 2,532,692-

MEANS 'ro SUPPORT PORTABLE LOUD SPEAKERS Filed March'lZ, I949 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ZY a ATTORNEY fiatenteii flee. 5, 1956 MEANS o SUPPORTPORTABLE LOUD-SPEAKERS Willy Borberg, Astoria, N. Y., assignor to Inter"national Projector Corporation,

N. L, a corporation of Delaware Application March 12, 1949, Serial No.81,191

This invention relates to an improvement in the means to supportportable loud speakers or sound reproducers such as are used in thewellknown drive-in 01' open air motion picture theatres, and is moreparticularly design as an improvement on a well-known form of speakersupport now on the market.

The sound transmitters or loud speakers individual to each parking placeon the several concentric ramps are generally supported on posts andwithin easy reach of the motorist as he sits in his car, the loudspeakers being connected by flexible conductors with a ramp cableleading from the sound reproducer of the moving picture installation.

The user, after the automobile has been positioned facing the screen ofthe theatre, with one of its windows adjacent the post on which thespeaker is supported, will reach out of the open window, lift thespeaker off its support and bring it inside the car, the flexibleconductor being of such length as to permit this.

It has been customary in several instances, to provide a hook-like meansprojecting from the rear face or back of the loud speaker, whereby thespeaker may be removably attached to or hung on the base of the junctionbox or housing fixedly mounted on the upper end of the loud speaker:post, which hook may be utilized also to hang the loud speaker on somesuitable support within the car, as on the upper edge of the partiallyraised car window, the sun viser or other convenient appurtenance.

I When the user wishes to leave the theatre, it is intended that heshall return the portable loud speaker to its normal position on thesupporting post, and it is at this point that much difficulty arises,resulting in damage and injury to the loud speaker, and consequentexpense to the theatre owner.

' In many instances, there is but a single position in which the loud.speaker may be hung on its support, and careless or inattentive .users,in the partial darkness generally prevalent in the drivein theatres,coupled with the somewhat awkward position of the users relatively tothe posts or supports, are quite liable to make two or three attempts toreturn the loud speaker to its normal position on the post, and failingto properly engage the hooked device on the back of the loud speakerwith the post support, the user will impatiently drop the loud speakerand drive away.

The loud speaker casing encloses a cone speaker with its diaphragmspeaker magnet and a volume control adjustable by a knob or turn-buttonpro- 3 Claims. (Cl. 179-146) or break the loud speakers.

2 I I truding into a recess formed in the face of the loud speaker foraccess by the user. The flexible. conductor leading from the housing onthe post to the portable loud speaker, being longer than the height ofthe post, does not prevent the loud speaker, when dropped, from strikingthe ground and the shock and concussion occasioned by forcible contactof the loud speaker and ground or with the concrete base in which thelower end of the supporting post is usually embedded, is very likely todamage or harm the casing. j

Greater damage is likely to result from the fact that While the speakerslie on the ground, the cars moving into or away from parking positionsnear the posts are liable to run over and crush Also if the loud speakershould come to rest face upward on the ground, rain, dirt, dust andother extraneous material can enter the speaker cone through the louversof the loud speaker casing, damaging the sound transmitting and am-'plifying qualities of the speaker.

That form of support heretofore devised for portable loud speakers onwhich the present in vention is an improvement, comprises a skeletonbasket mounted on and [projecting from the base of the housing on thepost to from a pocket to accommodate the lower ends of the ellipsoidalloud speakers.

The basket type of loud speaker receptacle or support is an improvementover the other types since the same nicety of judgment and handling isnot required to drop the lower end of the ellipsoidal loud speakereasing into the pocket or seat in the basket. Nevertheless, the same objections heretofore set forth, attach to this form as well though inless degree, since this form off basket container permits only twopositions in which to drop the loud speaker into the basket, that is,face outward or face inward.

The present invention is an improvement on the prior forms of means tosupport portable loud speakers in that this invention provides aportfable loud speaker s0 equipped that it may hung on the basket in atleast two different positions, in addition to the two seated positionsalready providedjthus enabling the user, despite careless and awkwardhandling and impatience or haste,

to hang the loud speaker onto its basket or leaves the motion picturetheatre, he will not use the same care, especially if he desires to getthe right of way over other patrons or is in a hurry for any reason.

In such case, the present invention enables the loud speaker to beseated with its lower end in the receptacle, face outward or inward asit may chance, or the speaker may simply be hung on the receptacle faceoutward or inward.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the novel structurethat the speaker, when hung in either of its positions on thereceptacle, will automatically assume an angular relation with its faceinclined toward the ground to thus reduce the liability of entry ofdriving dust, rain or snow through the louvers into the mechanism of thespeaker.

Still another object is to facilitate the operation of replacing theloud speaker on its receptacle. This is eifected by, in effect,extending the normal reach of the user several inches more.

Thus in former types of basket supports .for loud speakers, the casingcan only'be dropped substantially vertically into its seat in thebasket,

and'to properlyposition the lower free end of the casingover the upperopen end ofthebasket, the user is often required to stretch his arm toits fulllength and rise out of his seat. Otherwise, when the userreleases the loud speaker, it will slide ofi the upper edge of thebasket and fall Other objects and advantages will appear in thefollowing specification and claims, and 'will be .di'sclosed in theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a perspective View .of .a postor other support equipped with one form .of the in- .Vention, andshowing aloud speaker in one of its normal angular positions, when.hungfrom the speaker receptacle, and another'lou'd speaker,

thelower end of which is seated in the recep- :tacle; Fig. '2 is anenlarged .perspective view to more clearly show the shape of .theskeleton receptacle and the manner of hanging the loud speakers thereon,andFig. Bis atop plan view of the support and receptacle to bring outthe "formation thereof, the loud speakers being re- 'moved.

In a drive-in or open air .moving picture theatre, a series of speakerposts or supports I, I, are arranged along the arcuate ramps '(notshown), the speaker supports being spaced apart a suflicient distance toenable autois'ts to park their cars adjacent the respective supportswhich designate the parking places.

A concrete base 2, conveniently ovate'in form,

is laidat each speaker location,'which base projects some distance abovethe ground level to protect the speaker post andithe connected partsfrominjury by the automobiles as they arrive and depart.

"Thespeaker posts I, I,genera1lyof. hollow pipe, extend through thconcrete bases and project vertically upward therefrom, individualconductors 3 (Fig. 2) leading off from the ramp cable and up through thehollow posts.

A collar 4 depending from a horizontal base plate 5, fits over the upperend of the hollow post I to which it is affixed in any suitable manner,as by a set screw 6. The conductors 3 pass through an aperture (notshown), the upper ends of the conductors being respectively connectedwith a coupling transformer (not shown) mounted on the upper face of thehorizontal base plate, which 1 transformer in turn, is connected withone or more flexible conductors 'I' through an insulated terminal plate(not shown). The flexible conductors I pass down through suitable holesin the base plate5 outside the post I and lead to their respective loudspeaker instruments.

The transformerand the electrical connections on the upper face of thebase plate I are protected by a dome-like cover 8, the open end of whichfits closely upon the upper face of the base plate to which thecoverissecured by a suitable fastening 9.

The skeleton-basket or receptacle It is preferably formed of wire bentto the proper shape, as shown in the drawings, the opposite ends of thewire being entered in parallel horizontalsockets II, II (Fig. 2) formedon the lower face of the base plate 5 and held in place, as by setscrews I2 (Fig. 3).

Issuing from the sockets, the parallel horizontal wires are first bentrespectivel cutwardly, at I3, then forwardly in parallelism and theninwardly as at I4, to form shoulders between which shoulders and thearms IS, the speaker casing fits. From the shoulders I4, the wiresextend downwardly in parallelism, leaving a throat I5 between them, thewires being thencurved rearwardly, as at I 6, and then upwardly, forminga bight H spaced apart fromthe downwardly, extending portionsof the.wire to form, in combination therewith, a pocketcr seat to accommodatethe lower end of the speaker unit.

The working mechanisms comprising the usual speaker cone and magnet, anda volume control (not shown) have been enclosedheretofore in acasinghaving ahollowhorn I8; projecting rearwardly from the back ofthecasing at its upper end and at substantial right angles to the rearface of the casing. The .flexible ,conductor 1 passes throughaperforation I9 (Fig. 2) formed through the .outer closed endof thehorn, the conductor being connected with the volume and speaker magnet,respectively, inthe usualmanner. The flexible conductor 1, from the,point Where it emerges "from .t .e base plate :5 to .the point where itenters thei'loud speaker casing, is of sufiicient length to enableitheloud speaker to be drawn intoa car or other vehicle parked within, say,three feet more or less, of the supporting post I, without placing unduestrain on the flexible conductor. A convenientplac for supporting thespeaker unitinside a.car.is tohang the speaker by its horn IBon theupperedgeof a lowered window or on the window-casing, itself, adepending lip on the outer free end of thehorn catching against theouter face of the car door, or window to prevent the speaker fromsliding off its support.

The mechanism'thuslfar described is generally old and well-known'intheart and constitutesa part of my present invention jonly insofar-asitco-acts with the novel features .now to be explained The basket orreceptacle I0 .above explained provides only for seating the lower freeend of the portable speaker unit, either face outward or face inward, inthe skeleton basket or pocket.

The present improvement utilizes the open throat l5 of the earlierbasket or receptacle to enable the user of the speaker unit, whenreturning the unit to its place, to suspend the unit on the receptaclein a manner similar to hanging an article on a hook, whereby to afiordthe user additional and more facile methods by which to attach thespeaker unit to the receptacle, so that the user has a choice of aplurality of different methods, any of which he may adopt, which fromhis position, is the easiest by which to replace the unit on thereceptacle.

To accomplish this result, the hollow projection 18, extendingrearwardly from the back face of the former structure, is made of lesswidth than heretofore, so as to enter and slide freely in the openthroat I5 of the skeleton receptacle, or conversely, the vertical sidesof the throat may be set farther apart.

Lastly, the lip or catch depending from the outer end of the hollowprojection I8 is extended laterally beyond the side edges of the hollowprojection to form ears or lugs 2|, the distance between which isgreater than the width of the throat or slot [5.

With a speaker unit constructed in accordance with the aboveimprovement, the user, when he wishes to leave the theatre, may elect topocket the unit in the skeleton receptacle in which event, if he isclose enough, he may grasp the speaker unit by its horn or rearwardprojection and, lifting the unit so that its lower end is over the upperopen end of the receptacle, thrust the unit downwardly endwise to insertthe lower end into the upper open end of the receptacle.

If the user is too far from the receptacle to pocket the speaker unit inthe above manner, he can grasp the speaker unit by its lower free endand holding the unit with either face substantially horizontal, extendthe upper end of the unit and its rearward projection toward thereceptacle until the lip or catch clears the upper front edge of thereceptacle with the projection l8 in line with the open throat l5,whereupon, by a sort of chopping motion, he may slide the projectiondown the throat until the lateral lugs 2| contact the parallel curvedsections it forming the bight or bottom of the receptacle, after whichhe will release the speaker unit.

Because, at this time, the center of gravity of the speaker unit is outof the vertical, the unit will rock to a position wherein the face ofthe unit with its louvers is inclined towards the ground, thus operatingto prevent entry of dust, rain or snow through the louvers into thespeaker cone, and this automatic or gravity centering of the speakerunit, when hung on the receptacle, occurs irrespective of whether theunit is hung face outward or inward, so that the louver openings willface downwardly.

Also, it is evident that the reach of the user is, in effect, extended adistance almost equal to the length of the speaker unit, when the unitis grasped by its lower end, which enables a user to hang up the uniteven when he is too far from the receptacle to pocket the unit.

The forward shoulders I4 of the receptacle are sloped at their innerends adjacent the throat Hi to facilitate the entry of the rearprojection l8 into the throat.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a support for portable speaker units, the compination with areceptacle having an open upper end, and a throat communicating at itsupper end with the front edge of the upper opening, the throat leadingdownwardly and rearwardly; of a speaker unit; a projection extendingrearwardly from one end of the speaker unit and of a width to slidablyfit in the throat; and lugs carried by the projection, and extendinglaterally beyond the opposite side edges thereof, to engage the sidewalls of the throat and prevent disconnection of the speaker unit andreceptacle when the projection is properly entered in the throat.

2. In a means to support portable speaker units, the combination with areceptacle having an open upper end, and a passage leading downwardlyfrom the open upper end of the receptacle; of a speaker unit, the lowerend of the speaker fitting the grasp of the user, the face of thespeaker unit having louver openings therein; a projection extendingrearwardly from the upper end of the speaker unit and of a width toslidably fit the downwardly extending passage in the receptacle; andlugs extending laterally from the opposite sides of the rearwardprojection and spaced apart sufiiciently to rest on the side walls ofthe downwardly extending opening when the rearward projection is sliddown the passage, said lugs engageable with the side walls of thepassage when the speaker unit is held face upward or downward at theusers convenience, the supporting lugs being spaced a sufficientdistance from the center of gravity of the speaker unit to enable theunit to rock to a position wherein the louvered face of the unitinclines toward the ground.

3. In a means to support in various positions portable speaker unitsused in out-door theaters, the combination with a receptacle having anupper open end; of a speaker unit, one end of which is insertible bodilyinto the receptacle through the upper open end of the receptacle, so asto seat in the receptacle; a projection extending rearwardly from oneend of the speaker unit at the back thereof; lugs on the projection,said lugs extending laterally beyond the respective planes of therespective sides of the projection; the receptacle having a passageextending downwardly from the outer side of the upper open end of thereceptacle, said passage being of a width to slidingly accommodate therearward projection of the speaker unit, and of less width than thedistance between the opposite ends of the lugs, to enable the rearwardprojection of the speaker unit to enter the passage so that the lugs liewithin the receptacle and extend transversely of the passage to engagethe inner side walls thereof and suspend the speaker unit in a hangingposition below the receptacle.

WILLY BORBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 328,851 Lane Oct. 20, 1885596,724 Steppart Jan. 4, 1898 2,469,986 Phyfe May 10, 1949

